TechWhirl Sponsors

About TechWhirl

TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.

For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.

Reviewer of Doom (was: RE: Secretary Proofing Manuals?)

Just responding to some sentiments expressed on this fascinating thread.
Many have remarked that writers should feel lucky to have another pair of
eyes reviewing their documents.

I'll agree that another set of eyes is a good thing. However, I've had some
experiences with reviewers that make me want to take them off my reviewer
list permanently. Usually these reviewers have good intentions, but they
end up being THE REVIEWER OF DOOM.

Top 5 Signs You're Working with the Reviewer of Doom:
===================================================
5. The Bottleneck (review deadlines mysteriously do not apply to them
because they are monstrously overworked and their time is important. They
become infuriated if you proceed without their approval.)

4. They vehemently disagree with every silly style decision you've ever had
to make about the document set (which fonts to use, whether you click a
button or press a button, 'advisor' vs. 'adviser,' etc.)

3. This, that, and the other is wrong/unclear in the document, but they
won't have the correct information for you until [pick one: next month,
next quarter, next leap-year]. In the meantime, it is emphatically NOT okay
to remove the section entirely.

2. Upon final review of a document that's been under development for 11
months and is about to ship to the printer, they observe that it'd "look
better" in Landscape orientation and all sub-headings should be phrased as
questions.

1. The eight dreaded words: "Let's schedule a meeting to talk about
this...."

Abby Schiff
FactSet Research Systems
203.863.1593

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Announcing new options for IPCC 01, October 24-27 in Santa Fe,
New Mexico: attend the entire event or select a single day.
For details and online registration, visit http://ieeepcs.org/2001